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image of Conceptualisation of mental activities through the body part ləbb ‘heart’ in Amharic
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Abstract

Abstract

This study applies Conceptual Metaphor Theory to examine how the term ‘heart’ in Amharic is metaphorically extended to mental activities. By examining the figurative uses of ‘heart’ in fixed expressions from Amharic monolingual and bilingual dictionaries, and utilising the lexical method, this study finds that ‘heart’ is a central organ in the conceptualisation of mental activities in Amharic. ‘heart’ is associated with general intellectual or mental effort rather than being confined to a specific set of mental activities. Typologically, Amharic is predominantly cardiocentric (Niemeier, 2011); in Amharic, mental faculties are primarily associated to the body part corresponding to heart.

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2025-10-28
2025-11-14

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/content/journals/10.1075/rcl.00239.men
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Conceptualisation of mental activities through the body part ləbb ‘heart’ in Amharic
John Benjamins ; https://doi.org/10.1075/rcl.00239.men
/content/journals/10.1075/rcl.00239.men
/content/journals/10.1075/rcl.00239.men
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  • Article Type: Research Article
Keywords: cardiocentrism ; mental activities ; ləbb ‘heart’ ; Amharic

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